


The Things Between Us / 私たちの間の物で

by MTHammer



Series: Moving On, and Getting Over [1]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Intimacy, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, They just being soft on each other, Trauma, but only slight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28044930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MTHammer/pseuds/MTHammer
Summary: (I think about you rather often, you know.I think a lot about the things we've shared.Shared words, space, time, laughs, thoughts, shoulders.I continue my life with the things between us in mind.)Tobes is a nice guy. He's quick with a quip and knows when to take things easy. Cora likes and understands that kind of mindset. What she doesn't understand is why and how the fuck he's able to invade her apartment so easily. Another mystery to add to the drawing board...Takes place some time after Tobias has gotten more comfy with Team .WAV(E), perhaps 3 months or so.
Relationships: Octoling(s) (Splatoon)/Octoling(s) (Splatoon)
Series: Moving On, and Getting Over [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140785
Kudos: 1





	The Things Between Us / 私たちの間の物で

**Author's Note:**

> Another collection of drabbles that was incubating in my notes, decided to heed some writing advice and post this even if it'll be a while before they make it to this point in canon. :')
> 
> EDIT: I tweaked a substantial portion of the story that helps touch a bit on what Cora's past relationship has left her in (nothing serious, but slight t/w for trauma). I updated the tags accordingly.

On a drizzly evening, Cora is home making dinner after a day of duo-League practice with Cass. She had gone grocery shopping afterwards, and managed to get back before any rain started to pick up. She just recently learned how to make a veggie and salmon stir-fry, and was really craving for some again. Having already marinated the salmon with her own blend of savory seasonings, Cora is now cooking that separately from the vegetables that are already sitting in a bowl, freshly made. She always enjoyed putting in long beans with her fish as a side dish, especially when it's been sautéed with garlic. Goodness, Cora was drooling just thinking about it. As she waited to let the ingredients in the wok simmer, she leaned her back against the counter to go over the takeaways that she got from League practice. Cass was remarking how frantic she was being with her sloshers, and advised a more cautious style to be in order to save ink consumption and improve accuracy. Guess it'll be another few hours of practice to before she could get used to not always rushing in.

So deep in her thinking she was, that Cora failed to notice a familiar octo suddenly pop his head up from the sofa. 

"What's cookin'?"

Cora yelped, knowing full well who would have the audacity to barge into her apartment uninvited, but was startled nonetheless.

"For Cod's sake, Tobes! Who the fuck you think you are??? Santa????"

"I didn't break anything! Soldier's honor!" Tobes supplied with a right hand over his heart and a left hand in the air. He stared at her with the most pleading look of innocence that it made her want to smack him with a burst bomb.

Cora regarded him with another one of her incredulous stares—she seems to be doing a lot of that with him lately—before saying, "Y'know what, I think I'm better off not knowing how the hell you get into my coddam apartment." She pinches the bridge of her nose for further effect. Tobias couldn't help but give a small chuckle at that.

Cora turns back to tending to her groceries, all the while trying not to cave in and commit premeditated murder.

_All right, yup, uh-uh, wonderous, amazing, fantastic, yeah--_

Cora shook off her annoyance and gave a little sigh, resigning her fate to playing the unwilling host to Tobias's antics. Soon her eyes sharpened back into focus as she puttered about the kitchen and pantry, putting this thing in that, and that thing in this. 

As that was going on, Tobias opted to lean over the back of the sofa, arms hanging out as he rested his chin on the top part of his seat. Through those half-lidded looking eyes, he watched her carefully, taking note of the way she organizes all of her spices, the way she packs her ingredients in their respective corners in the fridge in a quick and efficient manner, the way she spins and weaves her way through opening and shutting cupboards—not unlike the way she does during a Salmon Run. Feeling satisfied with being able to watch her work, Tobes decides to remain in the position he's in and closes his eyes, just for a bit. 

"....i.."

A light snore came from Tobias.

"Oi!"

He suddenly feels a small, but sharp jab hit his head, having been jolted awake by Cora's spatula, as the owner regards him with a quirked eyebrow, balancing the offending utensil between her fingers.

"Ow," Tobes deadpanned as he lazily rubbed the smarting spot on his head.

"You want any or what? Seeing as you're here anyways."

Tobes closed his eyes again and hummed in thought at the invitation, retreating his now sore arms from their dangling and leaving just his chin on the sofa while he lets the last of his sleepiness ebb away. It wasn't the first time he's shared a meal with her, albeit usually after a post-match lunch or dinner. It also usually wasn't the two of them, but the other two team members as well. It was a warm and comfortable atmosphere to be in, and Tobes was starting to feel quite at home with the three of them, but taking this opportunity to have some more quality time with this sharp-tongued cephalo might be very much worth his time.

"Suuure," he drawled out as he proceeded to stretch like a cat (like a Judd?) before slowly climbing over the sofa, one limb at a time. By the time he was off the couch, the distance between him and Cora shrank considerably.

Cora stayed where she was, letting Tobias stand close enough to do...something...Cora wasn't quite sure, and the slight apprehension of it would normally make her feel annoyed at best, and uncomfortable at worst. However, she remarkably found herself not giving a squit. Tobes always did have his own ways of showing affections that aren't intimate enough to be considered _full on_ affection, but somehow still convey the unspoken closeness they have for each other. The idea that someday such closeness ought to be addressed at some point lingers in the back of her head, but she opts to file it for later pondering.

Deciding to let the comfortable atmosphere run its course, Cora's eyes fall shut, resigning to whatever Tobes decides to do.

And he does do something; he puts a clawed hand flat on her head, and proceeds to shake it side to side. Cora's head lolls around to the movement, eyes remaining closed as she lets herself get jostled good-naturedly. Something in her wants to savor this arbitrary affection that's he so well known for, and somehow, a sense of relief spreads through her lungs. She wonders if it's because it's him that she can feel like that, and whether it's because it's her that he can act this way.

With a soft chuckle, he draws his hand away from her head after an affectionate scritch atop her head and pads past her. "How many salmonids did you have to cook to make dinner _this_ time?"

"Puh-lease, like people actually think those spawning-crazed fishies are appetizing," Cora laughs as she turns around and watches him look in the cabinets for the bowls and utensils. She let out a soft chuckle of her own to herself as she went about setting the table.

.

.

.

Several weeks later, Cora woke up to a rather peaceful morning. The room was a bit brighter than she liked, which probably meant she forgot to close her curtains before going to bed. She thought about stretching for a bit, but decided against it in favor of the alluring comfiness the bed still provided. She laid there on her back, eyes half-lidded and staring at the ceiling like she usually does when she's drowsy. Her brain proceeded with its habit of doing a small run-through of what she needs to get done for today, only to remember that it's still Sunday and thus no practice, especially with how early it is in the League Season. She turned on her side to snuggle more into her bed.

Only to find that someone else is in her bed too, practically two centimeters away from her face.

Cora's eyes widened like saucers, and her heart rates spiked as she scooted back from the odd intruder. It eased down once her gaze fell on their trademark tentacle mohawk, immediately recognizing the cephalo to be none other than Tobias.

It _did_ calm her down a bit at least.

But only a bit. It's been ages since she shared a bed with someone, and even if it _is_ Tobias, there were some things in her past relationship that still haunted her, things that have tainted what once were fond memories of passionate and intimate touches, and are now nothing more than ghosts of ceaseless hands and lips, hungry and unsatiable. The slight thrums of anxiety trickle back into familiar, yet unkind crevices, like something invasive returning to roost.

Cora sat up, taking care not to disturb anything, and stared at the octo warily. She wondered how the hell he got into her bed, or her apartment _this time_ for that matter. She opted to ignore the fact that this was essentially breaking and entering. She'd be the one breaking _him_ if he so much as knocked over anything precious. Like her succulents. He definitely wouldn't leave this place alive if that happened. How odd for her to be thinking of her plants rather than her incoming anxiety attack, an occurrence she hadn't felt in months. She flinched out of her reverie in time to notice him turning over in his sleep, snuggling further into one of her pillows and turning his back to her. Despite her upright position—and her wired nerves—Cora could still feel the drooping of her eyelids and the urge to bury her face back into her own pillow. She...can't doubt that she ought to be worried in this situation, given how much her last relationship left her in all sorts of disarray on how to move forward from her ironic aversion to intimate moments that tread past the friendly terriority, and what was going on right now was...cutting it rather close.

The more she pondered about it, the more tired she got, and so ultimately decides not to care about the current situation—which she's definitely not going to regret later, nope. She lays back down into her bed, with her own back turned to the intruding octoboy.

As she felt the dregs of sleep threatening to reclaim her for a few more hours, she feels a mass of warmth press against her entire back, her heartbeat picking up slightly and her breathing shortening only by a fraction. And yet, as she waited out the temporary wave of panic, the weight of Tobes's body felt oddly calming, that she couldn't help but stay still as she let herself sink into the sensation, her fear-tinged memories becoming nothing more than just that; a memory.

.

.

.

It's 5am in the morning, just before sunrise, and Cora's sitting out on her veranda looking out towards the Inkopolis skyline. she had woken up from yet another dream about her ex that left her heart, as well as her head, aching. She had been tossing this way and that, the headache from being shoved out of her dream doing nothing to ease her back into slumber, and so here she was, with a blanket and a dazed expression gracing her features as she sat snug in her basket chair. As she stared daggers into the horizon, her mind couldn't help but tumble and whirl through that tear-filled night all those months ago, and suddenly the stress and anxiety of it all reared its dumb fucking head at her in her morning-dazed stupor. Her brows became even more furrowed at the memory, but the rage was only fleeting as she let it get carried away with a small sigh into the crisp morning air. 

Cora looked towards the skyline a couple more timeless minutes, and it was around that undefined moment when a yellow octo began crawling over the veranda rail.

Taken completely off guard for the umpteenth time, Cora 's head snaps towards Tobias and his trespassing self, her sleepy daze ebbing away for a bit before it started flow back into her.

"The fuck you doing here Tobes?" Cora was still a mite too tired to put any actual bite in her quip.

"Thought I'd come over," he says, as if super jumping to her veranda was the most logical thing to do over using her front damn door. Cora asked as much, and to that Tobes gave the best shrug an octopus without shoulders to shrug with could offer.

At that, Cora decided to let the topic go, sighing out her blues and looking back to the pre-dawn horizon. Tobes regarded her from his perch on the railing, catching the tiny furrow on her forehead despite her blank expression. He noted her snuggled position, which seemed to be more to try and calm herself down rather than from relaxation itself.

"You good?" 

Cora shook her head.

"Want me to stick around?"

At this, she nodded. She turned her head to him, and after a pause extended out her arm to Tobes. A bit puzzled, Tobes said, "But there's not enough room for two people"

"So just stay in octo form," Cora offered.

"Oh, duh." 

And with a leap from the railing, he managed to snag onto Cora's arm, his tentacles wrapped around her limb as he comically dangled upside down. Cora couldn't help much give a little giggle, and drew Tobes close to herself as she eased him into her blanketed arms and had him face to horizon with her.

More silent minutes ticked by, neither octo felt the need to say much, and Cora was still nursing her headache, which has reduced to a dull throb at this point. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." So much of what was swirling inside of Cora was just too much for her to put into words. Not so much that she couldn't, but found she really didn't want to. "Maybe later, but..."

"That's fine." His voice, garbled by his octopus form, still was enough to make her physically relax a bit. She idly wonders if Tobes felt the way she did so.

Her eyelids felt heavy, but she felt no desire to sleep again. So she let her gaze look past the horizon, her mind somehow swimming in too many and too little thoughts at the same time. If Cass were here, she'd say it's more that the mind can get so overwhelmed that it forces itself to think less in response. 

Overwhelmed...

It's all she seems to have been feeling this whole year, the anxiety and stress coming and going like any other part of her wack-ass life. Cora takes a deep breath, and lets out a sigh for all her troubles. Her anxiety returns somewhat after realizing that it didn't do much to alleviate her downtrodden mood, so she drew up her knees and feet and curled up even more on her chair, nearly squishing the unfortunate octo in her lap

"Cora," Tobe, croaked, his soft voice now sounding a little strained, "I know you're feeling hella emo right now, but can you ease up a bit?" The poor octo was even squirming in an attempt to not get mangled.

"Oops." She deadpanned, straightening her posture a little bit to let Tobes readjust.

Without crushing him this time, she returned to a more suitable curled position that was comfy for both cephalos.

Cora looked back past the horizon, the cold morning air sending pleasant chills through her body that always made her feel invigorated somehow. She closed her eyes as some of the wind caressed her temple, her cheek, her nose; her head tilted slightly back to let more of the chill wash over her. She inhaled, then exhaled, this time with more success at making her calmer. Cora vaguely wondered if it's the refreshing morning air, or her octo companion sitting silently with her that made her feel at ease. Whatever it was, it was nice.

Just, nice.

.

.

.

Cora opened her eyes to yet another free morning in her schedule. Her bed had one less uninvited guest, thankfully, but something else had gripped her mind as she slowly came to. She had felt something. Something real. But then she opened her eyes and only felt the sheets on her bed and the plushies next to her. She knew exactly what—or rather who—laid beyond her closed eyes during the night that had her face buried in _warm_ and _solid_.

_Amazing... I actually dreamt about Tobes._

Cora didn't even bother to act offended; she was too awed at the raw desire of it all. It had been so long since she ever had a decent dream that wasn't some bizarre acid trip she could never remember, or of boys that were no longer in her damn life so why even bother thinking about them anymore—

And yet...

He was there, not anywhere specific, just, there. And she had reached out and touched him—actually touch him—and let her face melt into his shoulder like a popsicle on a sidewalk.

_He_ let her. Tobes. The guy that hardly tells anyone about himself but would let others tell him about themselves for hours. She knows, because he _did_ let her, during that late night at the plaza where it felt like it was just him, her, and the team for company. Except, this time he didn't. Not really. Because it was dream. Obviously. Damn it all.

.

.

.

_I think about you rather often, you know._

_I think a lot about the things we've shared._

_Shared words, space, time, laughs, thoughts, shoulders._

_I continue my life with the things between us in mind._


End file.
